Taking nitrate supplements increases cGMP in the blood, which is a sign that nitric oxide is being produced and working in the body.

Taking nitrate supplements makes more nitrite in your blood, and the more you take, the more nitrite you get.

Taking nitrate-rich supplements every day can boost certain chemicals in the blood of people with high blood pressure, which may explain why their blood pressure goes down.

When you eat foods with natural nitrates, like spinach or beets, bacteria in your mouth turn them into nitrite, which then travels through your blood and becomes nitric oxide—a molecule that helps your blood vessels relax.